Shinigami Versus Fairies: Fight for Life
by Wild Rhov
Summary: Seireitei is troubled by 21 souls on Tenrou Island. Prepare to see Ice Dragon versus Fire Dragon Slayer! Senbonzakura versus Heaven's Wheel Armor! Snow blade versus ice mage! Kenpachi versus Gildarts! Fairy Tail fights for their souls. ON EXTENDED HIATUS!
1. Twenty One Troubling Souls

_**1st** - I want to start by apologizing. I've never written a crossover, nor have I ever written a Bleach fanfic. Although I read the manga, I'm not good with terms. I'm using the wiki a lot, so if I call something weird, blame the wiki.**  
>2nd<strong> - This has major spoilers for Fairy Tail Chapter 253.**  
>3rd<strong> - Although this fanfic is hopelessly stuck in my head, I'm preparing for Nanowrimo as well as currently writing a hefty fanfic for Fairy Tail, Lion's Pride, so I'll likely write short chapters and update whenever my Muse whips me hard enough. She's a sadistic little witch!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own either Fairy Tail or Bleach. Both belong to their respective mangaka.  
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><p><strong>Shinigami Versus <strong>**Fairies: Fight for Life**

a _Bleach_/_Fairy Tail_ crossover

by Rhov

.

Chapter 1

**Twenty-One Troubling Souls**

Seireitei was in an uproar. The Gotei 13 were having a particular problem collecting a large number of souls who were refusing to move on. The worst thing was the unusual condition of these souls: not only immensely powerful with off-the-chart spiritual energy, but there was confusion on if they were alive or not. Captain-Commander Yamamoto called an emergency meeting of the captains.

"This island was somehow not under our watch," the elderly man said with a bit of anger. "Twenty-one souls! Every shinigami we have sent has been defeated in brutal combat. It seems," he said, stroking his white beard, "these people have some sort of abilities...magic, one of the shinigami who returned called it."

"Magic," Captain Kyōraku Shunsui scoffed softly, adjusting his pink kimono.

"That is what was reported," Yamamoto nodded sternly, "but they were low-ranking officers, prone to exaggeration. Nevertheless, these are powerful and dangerous souls. If they are left to remain and turn into Hollows, it would be very troubling."

"So why the hell are we here?" Kenpachi barked in annoyance as he scratched an itch in his nose.

"We have determined that some of these souls have power equal to a captain," Yamamoto said with a glare in his eyes. "We even sent Vice-Captain Ōmaeda Marechiyo, and he failed against a single one of them."

"Is that really so shocking?" Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro muttered. "If this is causing a problem, I'll go. I've nothing better to do, and Matsumoto has been bugging me about wanting to make a trip anyway."

"That will be most helpful, Captain Hitsugaya," Yamamoto nodded solemnly, "however, we have intelligence that three of these people are so-called Dragon Slayers. Even using your bankai, you may have a problem with them."

"Che!" he gritted, irked that the captain-commander thought he was not enough for a few mere souls that needed to be put to rest.

"This is no ordinary soul burial," Yamamoto warned. He hummed and seemed to debate something. With a pout, he decided to tell them. "I have met this group before, these so-called..._madoushi_."

"Eh?" Captain Kyōraku asked in a lazy tone. "Wizards? Mages?"

Captain Ukitake Jūshirō's pallid face drew down in concern. "Then you're saying these people truly have magical power?"

"They call it that," Yamamoto nodded. "Suffice it to say, their spiritual energy was impressive when I faced one of them many years ago. It was one of the only fights I would consider to be a draw."

The captains muttered amongst themselves. The captain-commander himself, unable to defeat one of these mages!

"And you say there are twenty-one such people?" Captain Komamura asked.

Yamamoto nodded with a sense of gravity. "_Madoushi_ normally lose their magic upon death, yet these are, according to Captain Kurotsuchi, alive but not alive."

"Actually," Kurotsuchi Mayuri correctly, "what I said was 'dead but not dead.' Big difference."

Yamamoto only narrowed his eyes at being interrupted. "This is not an expedition to be taken lightly. These _madoushi_, or mages, have a variety of abilities: control over elements like fire, water, ice, lightning..."

Hitsugaya hummed at that. Both fire and ice mages?

"...a master swordsman...or swordswoman! Capable of summoning hundred of blades to her beck and call."

Kuchiki Byakuya made the faintest raise of his imperious eyebrow.

"People who can change their very bodily form into that of animals and beasts."

Komakura's furry face snarled a little. Humans who could turn into animals?

"As well as at least two mages with spiritual energy that could match or even surpass the greatest known here in Soul Society."

Kenpachi grinned, already eager to test that out.

"Some are weak, some are powerful. Therefore, we shall send three captains, and I would like some vice-captains and seated officers to deal with the weaker ones. Captain Hitsugaya has already volunteered. Any others?"

"Count me in!" Kenpachi chuckled with a glint in his eye at the possibility of meeting a good opponent.

"I shall go as well," Byakuya said in a reserved tone.

"Very well," Yamamoto nodded. "Leave as soon as you gather a team. That is all!"

"Our destination?" Captain Hitsugaya asked.

Yamamoto opened his squinted eyes just a little. "Tenrou Island."

**End Chapter 1**

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><p><em>AN: Chapter 2 finished. Prepare to see Fairies!  
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	2. On Tenrou Island

_A/N: This takes place on the same day as Chapter 253 of Fairy Tail, moments after Acnologia's attack.  
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><p>Chapter 2<p>

**On Tenrou Island**

Lucy could hardly believe it, and the blonde spirit mage covered her mouth with trembling hands. "We're...dead?"

Happy began to cry. "Natsuuu! I don't wanna be dead! I never got to tell Charle how I feel."

The white cat sniffed disdainfully. "Any idiot could figure that out, stupid male cat."

"Don't worry, Happy," Natsu grinned huge. "There's no way we're dead."

"But that's what that guy with the katana said," Lisanna pouted in concern. "He said he was a shinigami, and that we're dead."

"And I kicked his butt for lying," Natsu boasted.

Cana sighed and felt herself sweating in frustration. "I don't think beating up a shinigami is a smart idea. I mean, don't they determine what happens to us after death?"

Freed spoke up. "I read in a holy tome, the sins committed after death are forgiven. We are only judged by what we did in life. If this is true, then most of us should be fine."

"Most of us?" Bickslow questioned his partner uncertainly.

"No way was someone that weak a shinigami," Natsu decided stubbornly. "Besides, everyone knows shinigami are ugly skeletons wearing black robes with large scythes. That guy wore a kosode and had a katana. Just some weirdo in old-fashion clothes."

Juvia firmed up. "Juvia refuses to let Gray-sama die! But, if we are dead..." Her hands clasped together as she looked up flirtatiously to Gray. "At least Juvia got to die holding Gray-sama's hand!" Her head snapped over to Lucy. "My hand, not yours."

Lucy looked away. "I guess I shouldn't mention he was holding my hand too."

Wendy pouted down to where she was caring for Master Makarov, who laid on the ground bandaged and hurting. "But if we're dead, why are we still injured?"

"That's right," Gray nodded. "If we're dead, where are our bodies?"

Lucy freaked out when she saw the ice mage. "Forget about bodies, where are your clothes? Sheesh, even in the afterlife you can't stay dressed for more than ten minutes."

Erza thought about the situation calmly. "If we're dead, but there are no bodies, maybe the dragon truly did obliterate everything and there were no bodies left behind."

Although Wendy urged Makarov not to move, he forced himself into a sitting position. "I apologize," he began, and all of the mages stopped speaking to listen to the old man. "I wanted to protect you all. That's the duty of a father. Instead, we're in this mess."

"Master!" Mirajane pouted.

"It's fine, Gramps," Natsu said with a carefree smile. "We're all together, and we'll head home to Fairy Tail like we all promised."

Makarov sighed and shook his head sadly. "I guess none of you noticed...these." He lifted a chain coming out of his chest.

Gray looked down to his bare chest and suddenly noticed the chain hanging down just below his sword pendant. "Now that you mention it, when did we get these?"

"Huh?" Wendy looked down, then screamed as she saw the chain. "Get it off, get it off!" She began to pull on it.

"No, don't!" Levy warned. "I've read about this. The Chain of Fate. It's just a fable, but they say that if it vanishes...bad things happen to your soul."

"Bad things?" Evergreen asked, worried about such an ambiguous warning and staring at her own chain.

Lucy looked down. "I don't see one."

Natsu walked over to her. "It's right here," and he made a grab at her breasts.

"_Kyaaaaa!_" she shrieked, but Natsu pulled a chain up from between her cleavage. "Huh? Wow, that is sort of weird."

"Lucy?" Natsu pouted. "Do you think Virgo did this? You know, with her fetish for handcuffs and chains and stuff. She's dressed us up weird before."

Her eyebrow twitched at him. "I seriously doubt it. Besides, where is your chain?"

Natsu looked down. Sure enough, the dragon slayer did not have one. "Maybe I'm not dead." He suddenly leaped away from Lucy with a pale face. "Which means all of you are...g-g-g-ghosts!"

Cana looked up worriedly to Gildarts. Just as she finally told him the truth about being his daughter! He looked down at her, saw her fear, and gave her a smile that warmed her heart. If anyone could beat a shinigami, it was her father!

Levy gasped. "Gajeel, your chain, it vanished just now."

"Uh-oh!" Evergreen snickered. "Bad things will happen to your soul, right?"

"Yep," Laxus scoffed. "I knew that guy would end badly."

Natsu looked unconcerned. "You took out one of those shinigami freaks too, right? So see, you're not dead, like me."

"Natsu, your chain is back," Pantherlily pointed out.

Natsu looked down. Indeed, there was a chain sticking out of the center of his bare chest. "Dammit! Gajeel, take it back!"

"I didn't give it to you, idiot," he snarled. "Maybe because we beat up shinigami we're, like, in limbo or something."

"Wait," Wendy cried out. "Master's chain just disappeared too. And now...it's back again."

"I've never read about that," Levy pouted.

Freed frowned tightly. "Nor have I."

"And the old man didn't beat up any shinigami," Gray pointed out.

"Maybe we're not quite dead," Lisanna speculated.

"We're not dead yet?" Bickslow asked.

Natsu grinned menacingly. "I bet we have to prove ourselves in combat."

Lucy sighed. "You always think that."

"Dead or in limbo, we can't leave Fairy Tail defenseless," Gildarts declared to them all. "If all of us really did die, then the guild would fold in a few years."

"You're right!" Mirajane fretted. "The Master, all of the S-Class mages, the potential S-Class mages, and their partners: all of us here are the heart of Fairy Tail. If we're...dead..." She dropped her head in worry. She remembered too well how Lisanna's assumed death had traumatized much of Fairy Tail. She tried to imagine if it had gone the other way around. What if she thought Bisca, Alzack, Laki, Reedus, Warren, Wakaba, Macao, and all the others had all died, all at once? She could not even begin to imagine the emotional trauma. "We...we can't be..."

Elfman came up to support his sister. "It'll be fine, nee-chan."

The mages all dropped their heads. The chains on their chests were a sure sign that something ominous had befallen them. If all of them were gone, Fairy Tail would suffer its greatest blow in history. None of them wanted that for their family back home. All those left behind would suffer greatly. Their family would be destroyed.

Levy whimpered, until Gajeel put a strong hand on her shoulder. "We ain't dead," he said firmly with a defiant gleam in his red eyes. "Or if we are, we just have to beat the Reaper, right?"

"But I already did," Natsu said. "Hey, maybe that's it. I beat the crap out of the Reaper, so now we're only sorta dead, right? So all everyone has to do is beat a Reaper. If we all beat up a Reaper, we'll come back to life."

"Aye!" Happy cried out.

Cana grumbled, "I don't think _beat up_ is what they mean when people talk about beating the Reaper."

Natsu, however, thought he was a genius. "We need more Reapers so we can beat them up!"

Gray smirked with a small laugh. "I'll freeze the first shinigami ass I see!"

Elfman stood firm. "Real men don't fear the Reaper."

Lucy whined, "I don't wanna beat up a shinigami."

"A wise choice," came a smooth voice.

The mages of Fairy Tail jolted and looked to the voice. On the edge of the island, with the sea shining in a glare behind them, stood numerous dark silhouettes.

"Shinigami!" Wendy cried out with fear in her eyes.

Natsu snickered and glared at them. "Good, more came. I'm all fired up!"

**End of Chapter 2**

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><p><em>AN: Holy crap, I just realized I have a story on my Wild Rhov account that isn't rated M. That's what my normal account is for, but I forgot to switch. Oh well, this works also, and too many people have put an alert for this so I don't want to switch it. And the rating might rise. In fact, I'm raising it to T starting now. After all, this will be all about the fights. And this way I don't have to fret over language and innuendo._

_Many of you are eager to see Ichigo and friends as well as the shinigami. I had planned to leave them out, but I might put them in. After all, Uryū versus Sagittarius would be awesome. Orihime with her Shun Shun Rikka would be a huge weakness to Evergreen's fairy fetish. Ichigo...him versus Natsu would be epic but I planned from the start to have the dragon slayer fight Toshiro's bankai ice dragon. Maybe Laxus and Ichigo? Both have speed as their advantage.__ I can't figure out who'd fight Chad, though. Maybe Elfman. He's all about being "manly" and Chad is seriously the manliest character out there! *swoon*  
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	3. Face Off

Chapter 3

**Face Off**

The team from Soul Society stood on the edge of Tenrou Island and gazed upon the group they had been sent to put to rest through soul burial before such powerful souls turned into Hollows. Toshiro, Rangiku, Byakuya, Renji, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rukia, Ichigo, Chad, Uryū, and Orihime stood on the edge of the cliff while a circular door floated behind them.

"It's best to pass on with dignity," Captain Kuchiki Byakuya said to Lucy's statement.

Kenpachi had an animal-like grin. "Which one of you bastards is the one with the insane spiritual energy?" the captain with an eye patch barked like a hungry wolf eager for prey.

Atop of Kenpachi's shoulder, Yachiru hummed and looked over to the side where the three Exceeds stood together. "Kitties!" she squealed loudly.

Kenpachi stuck his finger in his ear. "Shit! Do you have to fuckin' shriek like that?"

Rukia blushed at seeing the cats. "They're...kind of adorable. And they have wings. Angel cats? So...so...cute!"

Gray raised an eyebrow. The small woman herself was kind of cute! Definitely his type. Too bad she was an enemy.

Lucy gasped and covered her mouth as she trembled. "Shinigami! Then...we're really dead."

"I told you, I ain't dead yet," Gajeel sneered.

"Looks like it can't be helped," Laxus sighed.

"Juvia shall fight to keep Gray-sama alive," the rain woman declared as she stayed right by Gray's side.

Lisanna tilted her head as she inspected the newcomers. "Look at those three," she said, pointing to Orihime, Chad, and Uryū. "They're dressed in normal clothes. Are they civilians?"

Ikkaku looked over to Ichigo and his friends. "What are you bastards doing here anyway? This is an important mission from the captain-commander himself."

"Beats me," Ichigo shrugged. "We came with Rukia because Renji wanted to spar. Then they were called to go on this mission, and we came along."

"We can help, at least," Orihime offered timidly. "Oh! Hey, look." She pointed to the pink-haired boy. "That one isn't a Plus. He has no chain."

"A Hollow?" Uryū asked, glaring at what he took to be nothing more than some yankee with horrible fashion sense.

Renji glared over at him. "Does he look like a Hollow? Besides, he has no hole in his chest."

"Who you callin' hollow?" Natsu yelled.

Gildarts took his shoulder and held him back. "They're shinigami, Natsu. I'm sure it's merely part of their jargon. Now, excuse us for being ignorant," he said, addressing the shinigami respectfully, "but since none of us have ever been dead before, we'd like an explanation. What are these," he asked, lifting his chain, "and if we're dead, why are there no bodies?"

Toshiro took a few steps forward. He sensed that here was a man who could be reasoned with. "You are indeed dead, and that is your Chain of Fate. As each link erodes, you take steps closer to becoming a Hollow, a belligerent spirit that must be destroyed. As for your bodies, we don't know all the details. The reports said there were no living people on this island. All animals and humans, wiped out."

"Oh no!" Wendy sobbed. "Then it's true?"

"Then why don't some of them have a Chain of Fate?" Yumichika asked in a drawling voice.

"The pinkie has his chain back," Rangiku noted.

Flames shot from the top of Natsu's hair. "Who ya callin' Pinkie, cow-tits?"

"Whaaaaa?" the blonde woman glowered.

"Strange indeed," Byakuya observed impassively. "Like in Captain Kurotsuchi's report: dead but not dead."

"Told ya," Natsu chuckled, crossing his arms haughtily. "All we gotta do is keep beating shinigami and we'll be home in no time!"

"Do you honestly think you can beat three captains of the Gotei 13?" Toshiro challenged.

"Gotei 13?" Gray wondered. "Are they some new dark guild, like Oracion Seis?"

"Well, there are thirteen of them," Erza reasoned.

"Thirteen of them, twenty-one of us," Gajeel smirked. "They have three captains, we have three S-Class mages. Plus the Master."

Wendy looked up from Makarov. "He can't fight yet. His injuries from fighting the black dragon are severe. I...I'm trying my best, but my magic is wearing out."

"Don't push yourself, Wendy," Charle warned.

Yachiru gave a whistle-pitch squeal, and Kenpachi covered his ear in agony. "The kitty talks!" she cried, bouncing up and down on his back.

"Goddammit, Yachiru!" Kenpachi groaned, wiggling his finger in his left ear to get out the ringing.

Rukia was enthralled. "Angel cats...talking...so cute!"

Orihime saw the little blue-haired girl using a green light. "What a strange healing energy," she whispered in awe. Wendy's healing magic was unlike any spiritual energy Orihime had yet sensed.

Toshiro eyed Natsu. "You must be the dragon slayer I heard about. You don't look like much."

"Back at ya, shrimp," Natsu snapped.

"Pardon me," Lucy said, holding Natsu back. "Before the flame-brain here goes overboard again...are we really, truly...dead?" she asked with a nervous bite to her lower lip.

"That's a question we intend to answer," Byakuya calmly replied. Resolving this without a fight was best, after all. The captain-commander warned them to try and solve this without fighting. He doubted such uncouth people could be reasoned with, but the elitist was at least going to try to be civil.

Rukia saw the calmness in Byakuya's steely eyes. All of these people showed signs of a recent brutal battle; the wounds on their bodies alone seemed highly suspicious, completely unlike normal Pluses. They were tired and hurt. Most looked like hardly more than Ichigo's age, one was a small child, the old man with them was badly wounded, plus three were cats—were they really cats? She felt a fight would be unfair to them. She decided to take Byakuya's example and try to seek reason.

"Something traumatic obviously happened to your souls," Rukia explained. She waved to those with her. "We're from Soul Society, where spirits like yourself dwell. We've come to help you pass on into Soul Society. We've not come to harm you or fight you, so long as you don't resist. We are psychopomps, nothing more. If you don't pass on, the chains connecting you to this world will tear out your heart, and you'll become Hollows. It is the duty of the shinigami to assist souls to pass on, or if we can't reach them in time, to purify the Hollow so that the soul may find rest."

"Is there really no way to just let us live?" Cana asked.

Toshiro shook his head. "If your chains were still connected to your bodies, then yes, we can restore a soul that way. However, your bodies are nowhere to be found. The mystery of your condition could simply be a case of the circumstances surrounding your deaths."

"Acnologia," Gildarts glowered. Could that black dragon be causing problems for them even in the afterlife, preventing them from moving on normally?

Gray hummed as he thought this over. He looked down again to the chain coming out of his chest. It was a disturbing sight, to say the least. "I admit, I don't want to plague the world as a mindless beast like Natsu..."

"Hey!" the dragon slayer yelled.

"...but I also don't want to lose the entire core of our guild all at once. The friends we have waiting back home need us. If we're not dead, yet not alive, then I plan to fight for life."

"Agreed," Erza nodded emphatically. "To keep Fairy Tail together, I will fight anyone, even a shinigami." She spread her arms out, and in a glowing flash, she was dressed in her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "I will fight to stay here with my nakama."

"I will not allow that," Byakuya warned her. "You will go to Soul Society. We can research your condition there."

"I ain't going to no place filled with dead people," Laxus glared.

Natsu raised his fist, and flames leaped up. "A chance to fight a shinigami captain? Alright! I'm all fired up!"

"I will extinguish those flames of yours," Toshiro warned.

"You!" Kenpachi shouted, and he thrust his finger over to Gildarts. "I felt it now, just briefly, but no doubt about it. You're the most powerful." His teeth bared in excitement. "I wanna see how strong a mage can be. You're mine!"

"Father!" Cana shouted.

He moved his arm out to block her. "He's dangerous. Stay with Mira."

Mirajane came up and pulled her back. "Come on, let them duke it out. No one alive or dead can beat Gildarts."

Rangiku sauntered up to them. "And no mere human can beat Captain Kenpachi. Why don't we three girls just sit back and watch the boys go crazy, eh? Ooh, do tell me where you get your cute outfits. Does Earthland have any good shopping centers?"

"Huh?" Cana grunted crudely.

"I heard you use some strange currency here...umm, Beli...Extol...Edels...no, Jewels, right? Ooh,'' she cried, hugging herself and swaying back and forth until her boobs almost popped out of her uniform and bounced hypnotically. "I can't wait to go shopping in Fiore!"

Rukia began to drift off toward Happy, Charle, and Pantherlily. "Here, angel kitties," she called with her hand out. "Good kitties. Come here."

Gray stood in her way. "You leave them out of this."

She backed away, then saw he was wearing nothing but boxer shorts. "Um...not that I mind the eye candy, but...where are your clothes?"

He looked down to his bare torso, then turned his eyes back up to her. "I died without them on," he explained simply.

"Ah, but...why did you die half-naked? Were you really fighting without clothes on?"

Lucy leaned over to her. "Trust me, it's a loooooong explanation."

Ikkaku went over to Gajeel. "I don't like the way you've been glaring at me, bastard."

The iron dragon slayer sneered. "The only thing glaring is that bald head of yours."

Ikkaku leaned into him threateningly. "Ya want some?"

Levy ran up to Gajeel. "You're hurt. Stop it."

"Don't worry about me, shrimp," he chuckled. "I ain't hurt bad enough where I can't knock a baldy on his cue-ball head."

Renji saw two of the mages approaching him and sighed that both of them looked strange. "Ganging up, eh?"

Freed looked at his zanpakutō with a careful eye. "A unique sword, to say the least."

Bickslow laughed with his tongue lolling out. "It seems that even in the afterlife, I still have my babies." His group of spirit-possessed dolls danced around his head.

"Shit," Renji sighed. "And here I was looking forward to testing out Ichigo's new powers. I guess I have to deal with you two first."

Yumichika sighed and looked around at the potential opponents. He saw Lisanna and Juvia standing next to each other as groups began to break apart for their own separate battles. "Well, I suppose you two are a bit cute. I hate to fight ugly people, you know."

"Uh, thanks...I guess?" Lisanna wondered. The feathers on his eyelashes drew in all attention and made her stare. "Aren't those heavy? You know, on your eyelids. The asymmetrical aspect to your face detracts rather than flatters."

Yumichika gasped and covered his mouth. "Are you calling me...ugly?"

"Uh, no," she smiled. "It's just a bit gaudy is all."

Juvia stared at him flatly. "It's hideous."

Yumichika looked like his whole world just cracked like a dropped mirror. "H-h-hideous? I can't forgive you for saying that, you...you..." and in a rush, he yelled as an insult, "you woman all in blue who can't even color-coordinate her outfit!" He huffed after saying it and pulled forth his zanpakutō.

Lucy firmed up her determination. "Well, if this is how things are going to be..." She pulled out one of her Gold Keys. "Open the Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!"

The horse-head Spirit poofed before her saluting. "You called, moshimoshi?"

Uryū scoffed softly and shoved his glasses up his nose. "Really, an archer? Leave this one to me."

"Uryū," Orihime warned. "Maybe we shouldn't get involved. They're not exactly dead, and we weren't even invited."

"Relax," he grinned, patting her shoulder in confidence. "It's an archery contest, nothing more. I must say," he said, pulling forth his Quincy bow, "I've never fought a Celestial Spirit. To go one on one with Sagittarius himself is an honor."

"A Quincy?" Sagittarius realized in shock. "I've heard of your kind. A contest it shall be then! Arrow to arrow, moshimoshi!"

Elfman pointed at them. "Contests are manly. Real men don't fear the Reaper. I'll take on all of you at once at a wrestling contest."

"Not interested," Uryū sighed. "Besides, I am _not_ a shinigami. I am a Quincy."

"Then you, dark guy," Elfman said pointing to Chad, who raised an eyebrow at being addressed so rudely. "You look manly. How about we wrestle a bit, eh? Two men grappling one another...I'll show you what a real man is like."

"Uh...thanks but no thanks," Chad said hesitantly. He wondered if this muscled brute realized that his challenge sounded...sexually suggestive.

Evergreen folded her arms and looked away from Elfman. "You're an idiot. But I can't just sit back."

"Evergreen, you're hurt," Elfman warned in worry, showing his rare tender side.

"Then I'll take on the girl. She looks weak."

"What?" Orihime gasped. "Kurosaki-kun, do I really look weak? I...I thought maybe I got a bit stronger. Uh, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo's eyes were on Laxus. The man had said very little so far, but his focus was solely on the substitute shinigami.

"You!" Laxus nodded. "I feel something strange about you. Not magical, but close. You're pretty strong, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Ichigo glared. "Who the hell are you?"

"Laxus Dreyar. And you, bastard?"

He raised his chin a bit in a cocky gesture. "The name's Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well then, Ichigo, how about it? Seems this guild hasn't had enough fighting for one day. Personally, I'm pretty warn out, but I'd be shamed if I let these brats fight a shinigami and I just sat on my ass."

"Kurosaki-kun, no," Orihime warned.

"Don't worry, Orihime," he smiled. "I've never let you down, and I won't now. We'll leave sorting out the mystery of their existence to the Gotei 13. I just need to teach his spiky punk a lesson."

Nearby, Yachiru popped up right in front of Wendy. "Hiya!" she yelled gleefully. Wendy screamed and scampered back. The little shinigami vice-captain giggled at the frightened reaction. "You're sorta silly. I like you. What's your name?"

"Uh...Wendy Marvell."

"I'm Yachiru! Nice ta meet ya! I'll stay by you until Ken-chan is done, okee Wen-wen?"

"Are...are you gonna kill me?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"Nope! You're dead, right?" she grinned happily. "I just need to stay here when Ken-chan goes all out, and I wanna play with the kitties. So cuuuuuute!" She grabbed up Pantherlily into a tight hug. He gasped for air as she squeezed him tightly.

"Lily!" Happy cried out. "Hang in there."

"One...strong...child," he gagged, trying to release some of the pressure on his throat.

"Talking angel kitties are silly," Yachiru giggled, swinging him back and forth happily.

**End Chapter 3**

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><p><em>AN: I've set up opponents. I can hardly wait to write the various battles!_

_Some fun with the currencies Rangiku lists:  
>Beli = One Piece currency<br>Extol = One Piece, __Skypiea __currency  
>Edels = Rave Master currency (Hiro-sensei's other manga)<br>Jewels = Fairy Tail's currency  
><em>

_And I gotta say... I love Yachiru! _XD_  
><em>

_P.S. - Apologies! I have to go on hiatus, but I plan on finishing this story once I get some free time. It's gonna be fun to write!_


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